Five bold predictions for Final Four: Expect more Loyola madness

SportsPulse: Heading into the games in San Antonio everyone will be asking the same thing: Can March Madness Cinderella Loyola-Chicago do the unthinkable and actually win it all?
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Villanova Wildcats guard Jalen Brunson (1) reacts after a play the West Virginia Mountaineers during the first half of a game in the semifinals of the East regional of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at the TD Garden.(Photo: Greg M. Cooper, USA TODAY Sports)

Three bluebloods and a Cinderella will tip off on Saturday in the Final Four. If the first two weekends of this NCAA tournament tell us anything, it's that going off logic (ahem, Virginia) won't pan out well for bracket forecasting.

Going with your gut — or Sister Jean — offers better odds.

Expecting a Villanova vs. Michigan national championship, in which the favored Wildcats cut down the nets, is a smart projection. But it is March Madness, after all.

1. A fifth hero will step into the spotlight for Loyola-Chicago against Michigan

A remarkable part of the Ramblers' thrilling Cinderella run has been the hot shooting of a different player in each of the team's bracket-busting tournament wins.Three of those four included game-winners in the closing seconds. Against Miami, it was Donte Ingram's buzzer-beater. Against Tennessee, it was Clayton Custer's rim-rattling jumper with three seconds left. Against Nevada, it was Marques Townes' pump-fake three-pointer with six seconds left. Then, in the Elite Eight, Ben Richardson led the way with 23 points off of six three-pointers against Kansas State.

Loyola-Chicago has not run out of players who can add to the One Shining Moment reel. The Ramblers' big man, 6-9 freshman Cameron Krutwig, could be the unsung hero against Michigan with his defense and efficiency in the paint. His passing and influence on the inside-out game have been invaluable. There also are two guys off the bench, Aundre Jackson and Lucas Williamson, who could become March stars. Jackson, a sixth man who averages 11 points a game, might be the best bet. And Williamson, a freshman guard who plays 20 minutes a game and has shown flashes of brilliance, also could shine.

2. Kansas will pull off the 'upset' of 'Nova in battle of No. 1s

Kansas Jayhawks guard Devonte' Graham (4) and the Kansas Jayhawks celebrate after beating the Duke Blue Devils in the championship game of the Midwest regional of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at CenturyLink Center.(Photo: Steven Branscombe, USA TODAY Sports)

While it's difficult to look at the Jayhawks — a top seed that just survived the tournament's toughest region by dispatching Duke — as an underdog, Villanova is the best team in America right now. It starts with national player of the year Jalen Brunson. Villanova also has paired the nation's best offense with an elite defense (see the 71-59 win against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight).

But after losing in the Elite Eight the previous two seasons, the Jayhawks finally got over the hump to reach the Final Four and they are playing their best basketball. KU proved it can come up big in crucial situations against Duke in the Elite Eight, and Bill Self's team seems to be playing with a singular, winning focus.

3. Malik Newman will torch Villanova and be the difference-maker

Malik Newman's coming-out partyhas helped a Kansas team that won the Big 12 for a 14th consecutive time become even better. His 32 points in the win against Duke show how he's found a comfort zone in this perimeter-oriented offense in which Big 12 player of the year Graham and veteran sharpshooter Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk are the go-to players. Newman's 13 overtime points against Duke stand as one of the greatest performances of this tournament. If KU upends 'Nova, Newman will be a lightning rod in that effort.

Here's how Michigan can beat one of the No. 1s: Coach John Beilein has one of his best defensive teams and that could disrupt the potent offenses of Kansas and Villanova as they did against Michigan State in the Big Ten tournament. They also have athletic, hard-nosed guards who could contain Brunson or Devonte' Graham perhaps better than any team in the tournament. And if the Wolverines play offense like they did against Texas A&M, they can beat anybody.

And here's how Loyola can beat one of the No. 1s: The Ramblers are undoubtedly the most unique team in this tournament and are deceptively quick if you haven't game-planned for them well. There's high praise for this team's spread-out offense that thrives on the extra pass, but there are an array of playmakers and big shot-makers who can destroy another team's momentum surges. Plus, coach Porter Moser has one of the best defenses in the country, which is saying quite a bit about the system based on this team's lack of athleticism. Loyola has the personnel to defend Kansas, a ball-pick-heavy offense, well.

5. The Most Outstanding Player won't be who you expect

Editor's Note: Sister Jean is not an option here. Gauging the history of the tournament's MOP award winners, it's often an unexpected X-Factor player — not a future NBA star or the team's best player — who excels on college hoops' grandest stage. Louisville's Luke Hancock in 2013 and Duke's Tyus Jones in 2016 are prime examples.

Kansas Jayhawks guard Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (10), forward Silvio De Sousa (22) and center Udoka Azubuike (35) react on the bench during the second half of a loss to the Villanova Wildcats in the Final Four. Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports

Loyola Ramblers guard Clayton Custer (13) and center Cameron Krutwig (25) react on the bench during the second half of their loss to the Michigan Wolverines in the Final Four. Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports

Michigan State guard Cassius Winston, left, and forward Xavier Tillman react after the Spartans'loss to Syracuse in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Raj Mehta, USA TODAY Sports

Michigan State's Jaren Jackson Jr. walks off the court dejectedly after the Spartans' loss to Syracusein the second round of the NCAA tournament at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Raj Mehta, USA TODAY Sports

Virginia forward Isaiah Wilkins, middle, hangs his head in the final moments of the Cavaliers' historic loss to UMBC in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Spectrum Center in Charlotte. Peter Casey, USA TODAY Sports

Virginia guard Kyle Guy (5) reacts with forward Isaiah Wilkins (21) in the closing moments of the Cavaliers' loss to UMBC in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Spectrum Center in Charlotte. Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports

Creighton forward Toby Hegner (32) reacts late in the second half of the Bluejays' loss to Kansas State in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Spectrum Center in Charlotte. Jeremy Brevard, USA TODAY Sports

Creighton guard Marcus Foster hugs coach Greg McDermott late in the second half against Kansas State in their first-round game of the NCAA tournament at Spectrum Center in Charlotte. Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports

Arkansas guards Daryl Macon (4) and C.J. Jones (23) walk off the court after being defeated by Butler in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Raj Mehta, USA TODAY Sports

Lipscomb guard Aaron Korn (23) and forward Rob Marberry (0) react after losing to North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Spectrum Center in Charlotte. Jeremy Brevard, USA TODAY Sports

Arizona guard Allonzo Trier (35), guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright (0), and center Dusan Ristic (14) react on the bench in the second half of a loss to Buffalo in the first round. Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports